LONDON — Britain closed its embassy and withdrew all its diplomatic staff from Syria due to security concerns, the UK’s Foreign Office confirmed Thursday.

In a statement to lawmakers, British Foreign Secretary William Hague said, “I wish to inform the House that I have taken the decision on security grounds to suspend the services of the British Embassy in Damascus and to withdraw all diplomatic staff.”

“Our Ambassador and diplomatic staff left Syria on 29 February and will return to the UK shortly. British Nationals who remain in Syria despite our longstanding and consistent message to leave the country should contact the Embassy of any remaining EU Member State if they require consular assistance,” the statement added.

Hague said Britain had maintained its embassy in Damascus despite escalating violence in Syria since the outbreak of protests against the rule of president Bashar al Assad in March 2011.

However, he added that “the deterioration of the security situation in Damascus puts our Embassy staff and premises at risk, and have taken the decision to withdraw staff accordingly.”

Britain’s decision comes after the US closed its embassy in Syria and pulled out all its diplomats earlier this month, also citing the “ongoing violence and a deteriorating security situation.”

“The recent surge in violence, including bombings in Damascus on December 23 and January 6, has raised serious concerns that our embassy is not sufficiently protected from armed attack,” the State Department said in a statement at the time.

The United Nations estimates more than 7,500 people have been killed in the regime’s crackdown on protesters calling for the end of Assad’s rule.